Alan overjoyed to see Jack born as new rules kick in
THE birth of a child is one of the most amazing moments in not only a woman, but also a man’s life.
So New Ross man Alan Rossiter is counting himself blessed that he was able to be there to witness the arrival of his son Jack into the world last week before new restrictions kicked in barring new dads from maternity wards.
Alan (36) was allowed to stay for Jack’s birth on Tuesday at University Hospital Waterford but had to leave after half an hour and was not able to go back to visit his wife Clodagh and son until he collected them on Saturday.
Alan said: ‘Jack was born at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. Clodagh was due two weeks earlier and we were due to go back in on Friday but her waters broke on Monday so we went in on Tuesday at 6 a.m.’
Having dropped Clodagh to the maternity ward, Alan had to leave. ‘I got a call to come back down that they were sectioning her. They just let me in for the birth. I had 25, 30 minutes to have that with the child, to hold him. They had said I could only go in for the birth and had to leave but as soon as the child was born they said I could stay a bit. It made everything so easy for us under the circumstances.’
The arrival of Jack weighing 7lbs 9 ounces marked the start in a wonderful new chapter in the family’s life. His older brother Dan (8) and sister Lily (6) were overjoyed upon hearing news of Jack’s birth and patiently waited until Saturday to meet him at their home in Nunnery Lane.
Jack was taken to the neonatal unit as his mother had pregnancy diabetes.
‘He was due to stay there for 48 hours but, having discovered his bloods were 100 per cent, they let him back with his Mam the next morning.’
Alan said it was very difficult not being able to see Clodagh and Jack after he had to kiss them goodbye on Tuesday morning.
‘I could call Clodagh and she was amazing. She was back on her feet in no time. The children are getting to see her and Jack over the phone. They wanted to see him straight away but I explained the situation to them and they understood it. I had told them that when their Mammy was having the baby she would be in and out in one day and they kinda held me to that. We are keeping busy by going on walks together, doing homework and playing, just punching in the time like everyone else.’